Heat treating arch for treating finishes on vehicles and the like



Jan. 9, 1962 E. BRACH HEAT TREATING ARCH FOR TREATING FINISHES ON VEHICLES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1960 INVENTOR Eugene Bruch BY @Mgg/m@ ATTORNEY Jan- 9, 1962. E. BRAcH 3,016,442

HEAT TREATING ARCH FOR TREATING FINISHES 0N VEHICLES AND THE LIKE Filed May 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F |G 4 lNvENToR Eugene Broch BY www gngfj ATTORNEY- the unnecessary space above the vehicle.

United States 3,016,442 HEAT TREA'IING ARCH FR TREATING FIN- ISHES N VEHICLES AND-THE LIKE Eugene Brasil, 225 Viewmont Ave., Toronto, Untario, Canada, assigner of one-half to Alexander Wagman, rlloronto. Ontario, Canada Filed May 18, 1960, Ser. No. 29,830

V2 Claims. (Cl. 219 3S).

Yatent O i in view of the Wide range of dimensions, is an existing pro-blem. Since heat rises, when a standard sized bake oven is used to dry the iinish of a re-latively small vehicle, a large amount of the most efficient heat is lost in As a general rule, most body shops or the like cannot afford the luxury of a plurality of different sized bake ovens and thus a primary object of this invention is to provide a versatile and practical heat-treating arch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive and practical heat-treating arch which includes an adjustable portion for aiding in concentrating heat in the most efficient manner for treating different sized articles, 'especially vehicles.

Another object of the inventionjis to provide means whereby the top of a heat-treating arch may be vertically adjusted relative to heat emitting means in side members.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a heat-treating arch including means whereby power means for an adjustable top member is de-energized in order to prevent damage to the force transmitting means incorporated therein. l

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: A

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the novel heat treating arch, showing the vertically adjustable top member in its lowermost adjusted position, with portions broken away for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 2 2 of FIGURE 1, illustrating an exemplary form of power means for the vertically adjustable top member;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2 showing a detail of how a suspension cable is entrained over a support pulley on one of the side members of the novel arch;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary underside plan view of a portion of the underside of the top member taken from the plane of line 4 4 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE l, showing a cable entrained over a pulley mounted on one of the side members of the heat-treating arch. l

Referring to the drawings in detail, the novel heattreating arch is indicated generally at 10' and includes spaced parallel side members indicated generally at 12 and 14 and a top member .16 which is suspended therefrom in a manner to be described in detail. The top member 16 will be vertically adjusted relative to the side members through the medium of power means indicated generally at 18. The heating means, which may ySi; and lower angularly related panel portion 90.

3,016,442 Patented Jan. 9, 1962 ice constructedfrom any suitable material and are of any' satisfactory construction, being shown in the exemplary embodiment as comprising plates and reinforcing angle members. In order to stabilize the side members suitably secured reinforcing bars 22 are provided at the top and sides'of the side members.

Included within the side member 12 is a support platform 24 upon Which'is mounted a povver source 26 comprising a suitably rated, reversible electric motor. The motor 26 includes a drive shaft 28k including a driving sheave 3o over which is entrained a flexible drive belt 32 extending over driven sheave 33 on `the input shaft 34 of a suitable transmission 36. The transmission 36 includes a power output shaft 3S having a toothed wheel 40 thereon over which is entrained an endless drive chain 42.

A shaft 44 is journalled at opposite ends in suitable bearings 46 mounted on opposed end walls of the side member 12. The shaft 44 has a tooth wheel 48`secured intermediatelyv thereof which is engaged by the drive chain 42.v Thus the shaft 44 may be rotated for the purpose of co-iling or uncoiling suspension cables and will in effect comprise a reel for these cables.

The shaft 44 has fixed thereon spaced disc elements 50 between which is secured the end of a `suspension cable as indicated at 52, 54, S6 and 58. Depending from the upper surface. of the side member 12 are support pulley assemblies 60, one of eachreceiving one of the suspension cables therethrough. The inner wall 62 of the support member 12 includes a plurality of apertures 64 each accommodating one of the suspension cables therethrough.

Secured on the outer surface of wall 62 are pulley' assemblies 66 and 68 which respectively receive the cables 52 and 58. Thecables 52, 58 are terminally secured to suitable vertically disposed eye elements 70 secured at underlying corners on the upper surface of the top member 16. The cables 54, 56 extend to the ,side member 14 and are respectfully received in pulley assemblies 72, 74 secured on the inner wall 76 of the side member 14. The cables 54, 56 are terminally secured to underlying eye elements 70 at the other corners of the top member.

It will no-w be understood that as the motor 26 is I in the side walls 62 and 76. Any desired number of rows of lamps may be used. The inner wall 84 of the top member 16, see FIGURE 4, also includes infra-red lamps 86. The inner walls 62, 76 of the side members include an intermediate inwardly directed panel portion The panel portions 88, include rows of infra-red lamps 92 thereon and by virtue of the angular disposition of these panels the heat eminating from the lamps 92 is substantially concentrated on the article being treated.

Mounted on the inner walls 62, 76 of the side members 12, 14 are horizontally disposed abutment bars 94 which will limit the downward movement of the top member 16.

semblies 96 will function to openthe field circuits due to engagement of their operating levers 98', when engaged by the top member 16 at itspuppermost or lowermost position to prevent over-travel thereof and damage to the operating parts.

The side edges 78, 80 of the top member 16, when moving below a row of, the infra-red lamps `82 will in a sense blank them out, and these' blanked out rows of lamps will not be energized to thus alford economies of current consumption while at the same time concentrating the heat from the lamps closer to the article being' treated.

The control panel 20 will include circuit' breakers 100, 102, 1014, circuit breakers 100, 102 being respectively connected in a circuit to the infra-red lamps 92 on the side members 12 and 14 and circuit breaker 1014 being connected to a circuit to the lamps 86 on the top member 16. A control switch assembly 166 is connected in a circuit to the reversible motor 26 (which includes therein a standard'fuse box assembly 1(98) permitting selective raising or lowering of the top member. Included in the circuits to the lamps 92` of the side members are circuit control switches 110, 112, connected to the individual bank of infra-red lamps 921 and 812 whereby an operator may progressively energize the vertically disposed rows of lamps to accordingly utilize only those required with the part of the heat treating arch required for-a particular job. The specific wiring of the electrical circuits will be conventional and accordingly further details in this regard are not believed to be necessary.

It is believed that the manner in which the novel heattreating arch is used 'is apparent from the foregoing. Briefly, the top member 16 is adjusted to the desired height of the vehicle being treated. The safety switch assemblies 96 will prevent excessive adjustment and Vsubsequent damage to thel mechanism. The proper infraredvlamps are energized. The hollow members 12, 14

and 16 will aid to Iinsulate the heating and loss of heat and since the heating arch is adjusted to the size of the article being treated, eicient heat -treatment will be afforded with the` use of only necessary current.

It will be 'obvious to those skilled in .the art that various changes may be made without'departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is limited not to only what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim: v,

l. A heat-treating arch for drying finishes on vehicles or the like comprising a pair of spaced vertical side members, a top member extending -transversely of said side members, heat emitting means on the confronting inner surfaces of said members for defining a heat treating area, said top member being vertically adjustably mounted relative to said side members for controlling the height of the heat-treating area in relation to an article being treated in'order to attain maximum efficiency from the emitted heat, said members being of a hollow construction to aid in maintaining the heatin said area, and power means connected between said top .and at least one of said side members for mechanically adjusting the vertical height of said top member, said heat emitting l means on said side members including` a plurality of y vertically spaced rows of heat emitting elements, said rows of heat emitting elements being vertically travers= able by opposite side edges of said top member, the

vertically adjusted position ofsaid top member determin-k ing which heat elements disposed therebelow will emit heat to saidy heat treating area, said power means comprising a reversible motor mounted in one of Said hollow side members, a reel shaftjou'rnaled on said one side member, means operatively connecting Said shaft to said.

motor for rotation thereby, suspension cables secured at one end to said shaft for reeling and unreeling'in response to shaft rotation, pulley means on confronting inner surfaces of said side members over which said suspension cables are entrained, said top member being secured to said suspension cables and being suspended thereby. w

2. The structure of claim l; one of said side members including limit switches dening limits of the path of travel of said tcp member, said motor being electrically energized, a controlcircuit for said motor, said limit switches beingconnected in the control circuit ofk said motor toA automatically de-energ'ize said motor at the upper and lower limits of travel of said top member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Miskella July 1, 1969 

